The Head Gasket Leaked!

[PoorUB]

And I couldn't help myself!

I swear it had a knock in it too, but I can't find a reason for it. The knock concerned me a tiny bit, but it has sounded like that for ten years, so I don't know. The head gasket was the main issue for me to finally dig into it.

Well, rings, bearings and gaskets and slap it back together.

For a bit of a side note, it is a Curtis 5HP 80 gallon I bought a few years back for $100. If I have to dump $200-$300 into it, no big deal, it doesn't own me anything.

 

[Uncle murph]

And I couldn't help myself!

I swear it had a knock in it too, but I can't find a reason for it. The knock concerned me a tiny bit, but it has sounded like that for ten years, so I don't know. The head gasket was the main issue for me to finally dig into it.

Well, rings, bearings and gaskets and slap it back together.

For a bit of a side note, it is a Curtis 5HP 80 gallon I bought a few years back for $100. If I have to dump $200-$300 into it, no big deal, it doesn't own me anything.

I had a Dayton that was seized up,I freed it up,cleaned things up with some emory cloth and put it back together. It ran that way for years.

 

[PoorUB]

Wow! I got online and ordered parts. A touch over $300 for piston rings, replacement shell bearings for the connecting rods, gaskets, ball bearings for rge crank, and shaft seal.

I got most of it cleaned up and it is surprisingly good shape for a 35 year old compressor.

It had some moisture in the oil at one time as the ball bearings for the crankshaft have rust on them.

 

[jrsulo]

I had to make a head gasket for my built in 1959 Curtis years ago,,,,,still running strong !!!!!!!

 

[PoorUB]

Well, this has taken a turn for the worst! I ordered parts, then some were discontinued, some were superseded and there was some confusion. I was getting very little help from the parts supplier so I told him to cancel the order and thanks for helping.

I looked online through Curtis's web page and found a Curtis distributor and contacted them and started the ball rolling again. So far so good, but waiting on confirmation that the new parts will fit the "old" parts. Their has been some updates on the pump since mine and it is not clear if the parts are interchangeable. All I know is it isn't going to be cheap!

I have considered just buying a 5 HP pump from Harbor Freight as they are $250. I will have around $400 into this one.

Maybe I should just sell the tank and motor and just use my 2HP as I really don't need a 5 HP, 80 gallon compressor any more.

 

[PoorUB]

Well, the parts are not interchangeable! I drove over to a local machine shop and he can do what I need for $75. Factory gasket set was $230, eBay, aftermarket $59. Factory rod bearings were $80, eBay $45. I also need a couple ball bearings, Amazon had Timkens for $14 a pair. Add some odds and ends, $200 or a bit more.

 

[no704]

Check out Surplus Center for a pump.

 

[PoorUB]

Check out Surplus Center for a pump.

Parts are ordered. I doubt I would find a quality 5 HP pump for what it wall cost to repair this one.

 

[Wrench97]

Compressor at work has had a knock for 10 years we finally got around to dig into it and found it to be in the electric motor......

 

[Spareparts]

"You had a rod knocking in a electric motor"



Just joking, I know better, , just couldn't help myself

 

[Wrench97]

"You had a rod knocking in a electric motor"



Just joking, I know better, , just couldn't help myself

It's probably a bad bearing in the motor but since we do have a spare motor it just gets pushed to the back burner again and again and....

 

[David99]

"You had a rod knocking in a electric motor"

Just joking, I know better, , just couldn't help myself

Actually, it was probably a bad bearing on one of the wheels (see picture).

I couldn't help myself either!

 

[PoorUB]

I got it screwed back together this afternoon. Roughly $250 in parts and a bit of a hassle.

The knock was a worn wrist pin bearing. It had about .020" clearance when it should have been .0015". The factory had revised the connecting rod and piston pin so the new parts would not fit my compressor. I took the rod and wrist pin over to a machine shop and they machined a bushing for $80. I looked all over for an off the shelf bushing, but the ID was not a stock size, so off to the machine shop.

I cheated and ran the old piston rings. They were in great shape and didn't have much wear on them. I ran a cylinder hone through the bores. So gaskets, main and rod bearings, the shop made bushing and it runs.

I timed the fill from zero psi to 100 and 125 PSI and it is right on, so very satisfied.

 

[PoorUB]

Oh, and it still knocks!

It might just be the nature of the beast. Every bearing was replaced, other than the one wrist pin bushing, and that one get measured, so I know it is "tight".

It should run another 35 years.